Photographic developing machine having an extensible light-sealing hood and automatic film feed



March 1, 1949. E. E. HOPPER 2,453,335

PHOTOGRAPHIC DEVELOPING MACHINE HAVING AN EXTENSIBLE LIGHT--SEALING HOODAND AUTOMATIC FILM FEED 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 8, 1948 ji l.

INVENTOR 52 Edwarof Hop 0e)" Mm 91%. F M,

E. E. HOPPER PHOTOGRAPHIC DEVELOPING MACHINE HAVING Marc h 1, 1949.

AN EXTENSIBLE LIGHT-SEALING HOOD AND AUTOMATIC FILM FEED 5 Sheets-Sheet2 Filed April 8, 1948 w 0 RM M mH 4 E Mm v w w EYE WEI MW a m w m N l Em4p m Q H mm 9v m a w ill H T l h mm h. @N. W NN March 1, 1949. E. E.HOPPER PHOTOGRAPHIC DEVELOPING MACHINE HAVING AN EXTENSIBLELIGHT-SEALING HOOD AND AUTOMATIC FILM FEED Filed April 8, 1948 5Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Edward E Hop 0 er March 1, 1949. E..E. HOPPER2,463,385

FHOTOGRAPHIC DEVELOPING MACHINE HAVING AN EXTENSIBLE LIGHT-SEALING HOODAND AUTOMATIC FILM FEED Filed April 8, 1 948 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 March I,1949. E, HQPPER 2,463,386

PHOTOGRAPHIC DEVELOPING MACHINE HAVING AN EXTENSIBLE LIGHT-SEALING HOODAND AUTOMATIC FILM FEED Filed April 8, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 PatenteclMar. 1, 1949 PHOTOGRAPHIC DEVELOPING MACHINE HAVING AN EXTENSIBLELIGHT-SEAL: ING HOOD AND AUTOMATIC FILM FEED Edward E. Hopper,Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to The Pittsburgh & West Virginia RailwayCompany, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania and WestVirginia Application April 8, 1948, Serial No. 19,786

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a photographic developing machine forcontinuously developing a reel of film in a light room while excludinglight from the film.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the present preferredembodiment of my invention Figure 1 is a front elevation with thelightexcluding hood lowered on to the base;

Figure 2 is an end view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line IIIIII ofFigure 2;

Figure 4 is an end view with the end of the hood and a portion of thebase broken away to show the lazy tong device for raising and tiltingthe hood, this figure showing the hood in contact with the base;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing the hood in raisedposition and also showing the hood in tilted position in broken lines;

Figure 6 is a vertical section taken on the line VI-VI of Figure '7;

Figure 7 is a vertical section taken on the line VIIVII of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a vertical section taken on the line VIIIVIII of Figure 3;

Figure 9 is a vertical section taken on the line IXIX of Figure 3; and

Figure 10 is a wiring diagram including signal lights.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the developingapparatus comprises a base 2 and a hood 3 which makes a light-tight sealwith the base when the hood is lowered but which can be raised andtilted relative to the base. A series of treating solution containers 4,5, 6 and 1 (Figures 3 and 8) are supported on the base. The container 4contains a developin solution, container 5 contains a fixing solution,container 6 contains a die back remover, and container 1 contains washwater. Each of the containers 4, 5 and 6 is located within a tank 8which contains cooling water.

The film Hi to be developed is fed from a reel II mounted within a reelbox or magazine I2, passes through a slot I3 in the reel box over aguide roller l4 and then passes successively through the solutions inthe containers 4, 5, 6 and I. In its travel the film passes under aseries of guide rollers l5 and over a series of guide rollers 16 whichalternate with the rollers IS. The guide rollers l6 are supported ateach end by brackets l1 secured to the solution container 5, The guiderollers l5 are carried by a one-piece bracket I8 which is of generalinverted U-shape cross-section as shown in Figure 8. The bracket has twolong fingers |8a and I8b for supporting the rollers [5 adjacent thebottom of containers 4 and 5 and a short finger for supporting theroller l5 adjacent the top of the container 6. The web of the U isriveted as indicated at H! to the under-surface of the top 3a of thehood 3.

The film H3 after passing beneath the roller l5 in container 6 thenpasses over a driving sprocket 2e on top of which an idler roller 2| ismounted, as shown in Figure 9. The driving sprocket 23 has teeth 22which fit into perforations formed in the side of the film. After thefilm has passed over the driving sprocket 20, it passes into the waterbath 1 from which it may be removed and dried in any usual manner.

The means for driving the sprocket 20 is shown in detail in Figure 9. Amotor 24 is mounted in vertical position with its shaft 25 extendingdownwardly and provided with a worm 26 which meshes with a worm wheel2'! secured to a shaft 28. The shaft 28 has a sprocket wheel 28a fixedto it and a chain 29 passes around the sprocket wheel 28a and around alarge sprocket wheel 30 which is mounted loosely on a shaft 3! connectedto the sprocket 23. A smaller sprocket wheel 32, which is connected tothe sprocket wheel 30 by a collar 33, is also mounted loosely on theshaft 3|. A chain 34 passes around the sprocket wheel 32 and around alarge sprocket wheel 35 which is loosely mounted on the shaft 28. Asmaller sprocket wheel 36 is integral with the sprocket wheel 35 andalso is loosely mounted on the shaft 28. A chain 3'! passes around thesprocket wheel 36 and around a large sprocket wheel 38 which is fixed tothe shaft 3! which drives the film sprocket 23.

Water for cooling the solutions in the containers 4, 5 and 3 and forwashing the film in container 1 is supplied through an inlet 43 in thebase as shown in Figure 3. A portion of the water flows through pipe 4|into the washin container 1 and drains through an overflow pipe 42 whichcarries it outside of the apparatus. Whenever required in order tomaintain the solutions in the containers 4, 5 and E at the propertemperature, a portion of the water entering at 40 flows through a pipe43, a thermostat-controlled valve 44 and through pipe 45 into the tank 8which surrounds the solution containers 4, 5 and 5. A thermostat bulb 46located adjacent the bottom of the cooling tank 8 actuates thethermostat 41, closing or opening its electric contacts which in turnactuates the valve 44 so as to open and shut the valve 44 in accordancewith the temperature of the COOlll'lg water in the tank 8. Expansion ofmercury in the bulb 46 caused by increasing temperature closes contactsin thermostat il which energizes solenoid 48 and valve opening needle48a and permits cold water to flow into the tank through pipe 5. Whenthe temperature is reduced to normal, contraction of mercury in the bulbpermits circuit brake in the thermostat and the needle closes the valve.These units are wired in ahead of the switches so that they operateuncontrolled. The cooling water passes from tank 8 through an overflowpipe 49 into container l.

The magazine or reel box [2 containing the reel 1 l of film is mountedon a support 50 at the righthand end of the apparatus as shown in Figure3. Details of the reel mounting are also shown in Figures 6 and '7. Thereel box l2 is mounted on the support 56 by means of a clip 5| which ispivoted at its lower end as indicated by the reference numeral 52. Thereel support 56 has an arm 53 connected to its upper end as shown inFigures 6 and 10. The reel support is made of material which is flexibleenough so that when the lead-in portion of the film is threaded over theso as to move the reel support 56 and reel magazine l2 to the brokenline position shown in Figure 10. Movement of the reel support to thedotted line position causes the movable contact 54 on arm 55 to makecontact with the contact 56 on arm 51. film applied by the rollers I5,the magazine I2 is in its normal full line position shown in Figure 10and the movable contact 56 is in contact with a contact 58 carried byarm 59.

Referring to Figures 1 and 10, there is a main snap switch 66 located onthe front of the base, a red signal light 6| and a green signal light62. Located in the base are two contact points 63 and 64. A contact 65is carried at the lower edge of the hood 3 so that when the hood islowered on to the base the contact 65 bridges the contact points 63 and64. As shown in Figure 10, the motor 24 is wired in parallel between theleads 66 and 61. Thus with the main switch 60 closed, the motor does notoperate until the contact on the hood has bridged the contact points 63and 64 on the base and the hood has made a lighttight seal with thebase.

In carrying out a developing process, the film I0 is led from the reel Hover the guide rollers l6 and sprocket 28 while the hood 3 is raised.This exposes to light only a part of the lead in portion of the filmwhich is blank. The hood then is lowered by means described later sothat the guide rollers [5 force the film down into the treatingsolutions and when the hood contacts the base 2 the contact 65 closesthe gap between contact points 63 and 64, thereby completing the circuitand starting the motor in operation. So long as the developing processcontinues and the film is being fed through the machine, the film isunder the tension of the guide rollers l5, the reel support 58 is in thedotted line position shown in Figure 10 and electrical contacts 54 and56 are engaged. Accordingly, the redlight glows, indicating that thefilm is still being fed through the machine and that the hood should notbe lifted. After all of the film has passed through the machine, thetension on the film by the rollers I5 is relieved so that the support 58assumes When there is no tension on the 5 its full line position shownin Figure 10 and contact 54 engages contact 58. This completes thecircuit through the green light 62 and causes it to glow, indicatingthat the developing process has been finished and the *hood can besafely raised. Lifting of the hoodfrom the base raises the contact 65and stops the motor from operating. Thus the motor starts feeding filmthrough the developing solutions only after the hood has been lowered onto the base to form a light-tight seal and the signal lights show whenthe process has been completed so that the hood may be safely raisedagain.

The lazy tong arrangement for raising the hood 5 from the base 2 andtilting it relative to the base is shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5. A handlever 10 is located outside the right-hand end of the hood as shown inFigure 3, and is connected at its lower end to a shaft H which extendslongitudinally of the machine. The shaft carries two gears 12 which meshwith two gears 13 secured to a shaft M whichalsoextends lengthwise 1nthe machine. Two lazytongs 15 and I6 are 'actuated upon rotation of thegear 13. Each lazy tong has a leg 7? which is rigidly connected at itslower end to the shaft 14. The upper end of the leg ll is pivoted at 58to a leg 19 which is pivoted at its upper end 86 to the hood. Anotherleg "8| carries a roller 82 at its lower end which moves in a guidefixed to the base and having a straight portion 83 and a curved portion84. The upper end of the leg BI is pivoted at 85 to a leg 86 carrying aroller 81 at its upper end which movesin a guide 88 fixed to the hood.The lower end of the leg '19 is pivoted-at 89 to the legl'l'and thelower end of the leg 86 is pivoted at-90 to the leg 8!.

As the hand lever 10 is rotated inascounterclockwise direction from theposition shown in Figure 4 to that shown in full linesin. FigureS, thehood 3 is raised, the roller 82 moves in the straight portion 83 of theguide which is fixed to the base, and the roller 8'! moves in the guide.88 fixed to the hood. As the lever 10 is further rotated to thehorizontal position shown inchain lines in Figure 5, the roller 82 movesupwardly in the curved portion 84 of the guide, thus causing the lazytongs and hood to pivot about the shaft 16 as an axis and to assumethetilted position shown in chain lines in Figure 5. The raising andtilting of the hood enables freeaccessto the solution containers so thattheyv may be removed andthe solutions replenished. .In order to aid ineasy removal of the containers, they are provided with handles 9|.

The invention is not limited to the preferred embodiment but may beotherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A machine for developing sensitized film the like, comprising a base,a series of treatsoiution containers supported on the base, a hood andmeans for raising and lowering it, the hood forming a light-tight sealwith the-base,' a series of guide rollers over which the film passesmounted in fixed position above the containers a series of guide rollersunder which the film passes secured to the hood. and-adapted toimmersethe film in the treating solutions in thezcontainers -hen. thehood is lowered, and means withinnthe hood when in lowered position forfeeding .the film through the treating solutions.

2. A machine for developing sensitized film and the like, comprising abase, a series. of treating solution containers supported on the base,a; tank surrounding the solution containers and adapted to containcooling liquid, a hood and means for raising and lowering it, the hoodforming a lighttight seal with the base, a series of guide rollers overwhich the film passes mounted in fixed position above the containers, aseries of guide rollers under which the film passes secured to the hoodand adapted to immerse the film in the treating sOlutiohs in thecontainers when the hood is lowered, and means within the hood when inlowered position for feeding the film through the treating solutions.

3. A machine for developing sensitized film and the like, comprising abase, a series of treating solution containers supported on the base, atank surrounding the solution containers and adapted to contain coolingliquid, means for flowing cooling liquid through said tank, a thermostatin the tank, a valve responsive to the thermostat for controlling theflow of cooling liquid through the tank, a hood and means for raisingand lowering it, the hood forming a lighttight seal with the base, aseries of guide rollers over which the film passes mounted in fixedposition above the containers, a series of guide rollers under which thefilm passes secured to the hood and adapted to immerse the film in thetreating solutions in the containers when the hood is lowered, and meanswithin the hood when in lowered position for feeding the film throughthe treating solutions.

4. A machine for developing sensitized film and the like, comprising abase, a series of treating solution containers supported on the base, ahood and means for raising and lowering it, the hood forming alight-tight seal with the base, a series of guide rollers over which thefilm passes mounted in fixed position above the containers, a series ofguide rollers under which the film passes secured to the hood andadapted to immerse the film in the treating solutions in the containerswhen the hood is lowered, means including an electric motor connected inan electric circuit for feeding a film through the treating solutions,and cooperating electric contacts on the hood and base so located as tocomplete the electric circuit only when the hood is in contact with thebase.

5. A machine for developing sensitized film and the like, comprising abase, a series of treating solution containers supported on the base, ahood and means for raising and lowering it, the hood forming alight-tight seal with the base, a series of guide rollers over which thefilm passes mounted in fixed position above the containers, a series ofguide rollers under which the film passes secured to the hood andadapted to immerse the film in the treating solutions in the containerswhen the hood is lowered, means including an electric motor connected inan electric circuit for feeding a film through the treating solutions,cooperating electric contacts on the hood and base so located as tocomplete the electric circuit only when the hood is in contact with thebase, a film reel support adapted to be moved when tension is applied tothe film by contact with the guide rollers secured to the hood as thehood is lowered, signal lights in the electric circuit, an electricContact point connected to each light, a movable signal light contactadapted to complete the circuit of each light, and means connecting thereel support with said movable signal light contact.

, means for actuating the lazy tongs to extend them, one leg of eachlazy tong being pivoted at one end to the base and at the other end tothe hood, the other leg of the lazy tong having one end movable in aguide fixed to the base and the 11.: other end movable in a guide fixedto the hood,

the guide which is fixed to the base having a straight portion and acurved portion so that upon actuating the lazy tongs the hood is firstraised and then tilted relative to the base.

EDWARD E. HOPPER.

No references cited.

